Bearing packer



Feb..2,"1943 H.'s -BERG A 2,309,820

BEARING PACKER `Original Filed July 3f 1939.

INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 2, 1943 U- NITE D STAT E S TNT OFFICE BEARING PACKER HansS. Berg, Ventura, Calif.

19.41, SerialNo. 395,175

5 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of lubricating bearings and moreparticularly to an improved bearing packer for lubricating roller andball bearings with a heavy or semi-solid lubricant. The primary objectof my invention is to provide simple and inexpensive improved means foreasily, quickly and thoroughly lubricating bearing assembliesof anyusual size or construction substantially without waste of lubricant.Further object is to provide means for quickly and effectively clampinga bearing assembly to be treated in a holder so thatv fresh lubricatingmedium can be injected i'ntothe bearing while the bearing is purged ofvold lubricant. A further object is to prevent waste,` of lubricant andto enable the operator to use the lubricating device without soiling thehands land clothing.

As is Well known, roller and ball bearingI assembliesv consist of aninner ring having equally spaced' rollers or balls held` therein bymeans of an outer retaining ring or cage. Likewise the usual method ofapplying lubricant to these bearing assemblies has been to force greaseor other semi-solid lubricant either by hand or by the use of packingdevices between the rollers or balls before or after the bearingassembly is applied in use. With my improvement the semisolid lubricantis applied under pressure while the bearing assembly is out of use. Thebearing, of roller or ball type, is held rmly in a suitable holder belowa readily manipulated nozzle or applicator, whereby a tight connectionis made with the bearing assembly while the hands of the operator areleft free to apply lubricant, under pressure, to effectively pack thebearingV assembly.

Thisy application is adivision of my companion application, liled July3, 1939, bearing Serial Number 282,669, which matured' into Patent No.2,248,940, July 15, 1941.

The accompanying drawing forming part of this specification is a frontelevation, partly in central vertical section of my improved bearingpacker, the elevated position of the nozzle and the relative loweredposition of the handle bar being shown in broken lines.

My invention is adapted for packing various types and sizes ofantifriction roller or ball bearing assemblies, A representing one formwhich is commonly used in front wheels of automobiles. The bearinglassembly shown consists of an inner annulus I and an outer concentricspacing ring or cage I2 between which an annular series of antifrictionrollers II are retained.

In the drawing, B indicates a holder resembling a shallow bowl or cupI5, having an inwardly sloping floor upon which a bearing` assembly A ofany size within the range of; the apparatus isV held with the lower edgeof its ring I2 tightly seated while the bearing assembly isV beingrpacked with lubricant. This bowl has a base l 6 which is placed upon asuitable supporting table I1. A vertical cylindrical guide I8, centrallypositioned above the bowl is supported by a superimposed yoke IS. ThisyokeA is' rigidly mounted upon vertical supporting rods 2() of anysuitable number. These rods are supported by a suitable base 2l and thesupporting tablef Il is slidable vertically on the rods and securedthereto at selected elevation by the set bolts 2 2. A plunger 23 isreciprocably held in theA cylindrical guide I8 and is provided with adownwardly tapering nozzle or adapter C on its lower end and with anupwardly extendingl stem 24 on its upper end. The stem projects upwardlythrough the housing 25 on the yoke I9. A helical expansion spring 26 inthe guide I8 and loosely enveloping. the stem 2l!V urges the plunger 23with` its nozzle C down tightly engaging and closing the annulus Ill,thus holding the bearing assembly with its outer cage ring I2 tight uponthe floor of bowl B. A back stop 2l for the upper end of the spring 26is placed in the guide I8. and `housing 25. This back stop is integralwith yoke I9 and has 'a vertical channel 28 in which the verticaltoothed rack 29 on the side of the stem 24 and an intermeshing toothedpinion 30 work. The pinion 3i) is journaled by the stud shaft 3| in thehousing 25 and has an actuating hand lever 32. By swinging the handlever down into the broken line position, the plunger is easily raisedto release the nozzle from the bearing assembly. The nozzle is retainedin raised position to free the bearing assembly by a spring clasp 35 onone of the supporting rods 2i) which releasably engages the hand lever2. The plunger including its nozzle and stern` are passagedlongitudinally at 33 for forcing heavy or semisolid lubricant or awashing solution into the bearing assembly when the latter is held inthe bowl by the nozzle. An adapter 34 of any suitable desired type isprovided on the upper eX- tremity of the stem for coupling with a forcedlubricant feed supply.

The bowl is selectively positioned in elevation below the nozzle by theadjustable supporting table Il which provides for variation in springpressure applied by nozzle C upon the annulus IB and assists inregulating the space between the bowl and nozzle so as to accommodatediierent heights and diameters of bearing assemblies which are packed bythe device.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof operation of my invention together with the lapparatus which I nowconsider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to haveit understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and thatthe invention can be carried out by other means and applied to usesother than those above set forth within the spirit of the invention andwithin the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A bearing assembly packer, comprising, a bowl having an inwardlysloping floor, an upwardly extending guide above the bowl, a support forsaid bowl and guide, a plunger reciprocable in said guide having a stemprojecting upwardly from the guide and a nozzle on its lower` endadapted in its lowered position to engage and close the upper end of theinner member of a bearing assembly and hold the latter with its outermember tightly seated upon the floor of said bowl, resilient meanscooperating with said guide and plunger for urging the plunger with itsnozzle downwardly, said plunger including its nozzle and stem beingpassaged longitudinally for injecting lubricant under pressuredownwardly into the space within the bearing assembly, a rack and pinionconnected with said plunger for reciprocating the latter to raise andlower said nozzle and permit the resilient means to assist in loweringand holding the nozzle in lowered position upon the bearing assembly andlever actuating means for revolving said pinion to raise or lower saidplunger.

2. A bearing assembly lubricating packer, comprising, a bowl, anupwardly extending guide above the bowl, a support for said bowl andguide, a plunger reciprocable in said guide having a stem projectingupwardly from the guide and a nozzle on its lower end adapted in itslowered position to engage and close the upper end of the inner memberof a bearing assembly and hold the latter with its outer member tightlyseated in said bowl, resilient means cooperating with said guide andplunger for urging the plunger with its nozzle down, said plungerincluding its nozzle and stem being passaged longitudinally foriniecting lubricant under pressure Y downwardly into the space withinthe bearing assembly, a gear connection with said plunger forreciprocating the latter to raise and lower said nozzle and permit theresilient means to Aassist in lowering and holding the nozzle in loweredposition upon the bearing assembly and having a drive pinion, a handpiece for actuating said pinion to cause the reciprocation of saidplunger, and an engaging element on said Vsupport for releasablyretaining the hand piece with the plunger in raised position.

3. A bearing assembly lubricating packer, comprising, a bowl, anupwardly extending guide above said bowl, a frame for supporting saidguide, a plunger reciprocable upon said guide having a nozzle on itslower end adapted in its lower position to engage and close the upperend of the inner member of a bearing assembly and hold the latter withits outer member tightly seated in said bowl, a support for said bowladjustable in elevation upon said frame for accommodating bearingassemblies to provide for variations in spring pressure by bearingassemblies of diierent heights below said nozzle, resilient meanscooperating with said guide and plunger for urging the latter intoengagement with the bearing assembly, said plunger including its nozzleand stem being passaged longitudinally for admitting lubricant betweenthe parts of the bearing assembly, and means cooperating with saidplunger for raising the latter with its nozzle above the bearingassembly in said bowl or for releasing the plunger from superiorposition into engagement with the bearing assembly.

4. A bearing assembly packer, comprising, a bowl for holding a bearingassembly, an upwardly extending guide 'above the bowl, a support forsaid bowl and guide, a plunger reciprocable in said guide having abearing assembly engaging element on its lower end adapted in thelowered position of the plunger to close the upper end of the innermember of the bearing assembly and hold the latter with its outer membertightly seated in said bowl, resilient means cooperating with said guideand plunger for urging the plunger down upon the bearing assembly, oneof said bearing assembly holding elements being passaged to applylubricant between the parts of the bearing assembly when the latter isheld in said bowl by said plunger, a gear connection with said plungerfor reciprocating the latter to or forceably close upon and permit theresilient means to hold the plunger closed upon the bearing assembly andhaving a drive pinion, a hand piece for actuating said pinion to causethe reciprocation of said plunger, and an engaging element cooperatingwith one of said movable parts for retaining the plunger in raisedposition.

5. A bearing assembly lubricator, comprising, a bowl, a guide extendingupwardly above said bowl, a frame for supporting said guide, a plungerreciprocable in said guide adapted in its lowered position to close byits lower end the inner ring of and cooperating with said bowl to hold abearing assembly in said bowl, resilient means cooperating with saidguide for urging said plunger down, gear actuating means for raising orreleasing the plunger to permit the resilient means holding the plungerdown, and a supportingv table for the bowl adjustable in height uponsaid frame to provide for variations in pressure exerted by the plungerupon the bearing assembly and to accommodate bearing assemblies held bysaid bowl of different heights, one of said bearing assembly holdingelements being passaged to admit treating medium within the spacebetween the plunger and bowl and within the bearing assembly.

HANS S. BERG.

